Guided Imagery: what is it, and who is it for?
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What is Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is a mind-body technique used by coaches (athletic, executive, and health), psychotherapists, behaviorists, and some doctors and nurses. Through guided imagery, one moves out of the purely analytical or thinking mind and accesses the subconscious, unconscious, and intuitive aspects of self for the purposes of stress and anxiety relief, pain management, behavior change, addiction recovery, physical recovery and healing, enhanced immune system capacity, optimal performance, and much more. The process usually begins with a period of progressive relaxation, followed by calling up a situation or experience that one wishes to impact, and working with a combination of visualization and sensory recruitment to envision an ideal outcome or to access our natural wellspring of inner guidance in order to resolve or clarify an issue we are dealing with.
Guided Imagery can be practiced alone by writing and reading a script or by listening to a recording. Recordings are typically much more generalized and useful for common experiences like stress management, relaxation, and sleep improvement. Alternatively, certified practitioners can lead a more individualized imagery session by walking the client through relaxation, the creation of a safe place from which to explore the imagery, and then through a series of guided inquiries meant to evoke the client’s own inner guidance and wisdom. In this process, while the practitioner is guiding the inquiry, the client is always fully conscious and in control of the experience, leading the imagery session through their expression of what is most needed and important to their experience at any given moment.
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Who is it for?
When you do a simple web search of guided imagery, the most common uses mentioned will be as a relaxation practice used to improve stress, anxiety, sleep, and thereby improve other physiological symptoms that are impacted by high stress, anxiety, and poor sleep.
Guided imagery has been used extensively in smoking cessation programs as well as in the management of addiction and more generalized cravings.
Within the healthcare space, this practice is used to help reduce complications and improve outcomes and recovery time from surgery. It is also used as an effective alternative form of pain management, especially for those who experience chronic pain, or those who wish or need to avoid consumption of commonly used pain medications such as opioids.
These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an elite athlete who hasn’t practiced guided imagery in order to optimize their performance—though it is often referred to as visualization, the recruitment of non-visual senses qualifies it as imagery. Most professional coaches are aware of the evidence behind using imagery to improve performance and outcomes, and it is becoming a regular component of team and individual training and strategy.
Similarly, CEOs and company executives hire coaches to help them manage stress and improve their own and their team’s performance, often using guided imagery as a central tool in this process.
In the field of health and wellness coaching, guided imagery can be particularly useful in uncovering and resolving obstacles to behavior change, as well as enhancing motivation and self-efficacy—the confidence and belief one has in one’s ability to achieve one’s goals. Clients who are struggling to make progress on a goal can work with guided imagery to access their non-analytical, non-judgmental inner guidance to help them unlock their capacity for great change and growth.
While this technique has no negative side effects or ramifications for the vast majority of people, it may not be safe or indicated for individuals with a history of psychosis, hallucinations, dissociation, or severe trauma without the approval and guidance of a properly trained and licensed doctor or therapist.
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How does it work?
One of the mechanisms at play in guided imagery is through progressive relaxation and creating a safe space for sensory exploration, which helps the body switch from a sympathetic nervous system response (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) back to our parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, repair). There are all kinds of challenging impacts on our brains and bodies when we are living in a constant state of pain (physical, mental, emotional, etc.) or stress with an overstimulated sympathetic nervous system. So engaging in practices that promote stress reduction and relaxation can free up our bodies and minds to do the work of cellular repair and healing, as well as creative thinking and problem solving.
Once we’ve reached this more relaxed state, by exploring imagery related to a positive outcome, desired state, or resolution of a concern, especially through full sensory recruitment, our bodies respond as though these mental images and experiences are actually happening in the moment, supporting the creation and strengthening of new neural pathways that train our brains to enact these changes in our regular life.
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How can I try it out?
To get an introduction to the process for general relaxation, pain management, surgery preparation, sleep improvement and more, you can check out these two resources with pre-recorded scripts: 1, 2.
If you have a more specific condition, issue, or change you want to support with guided imagery, consider booking a session for an individualized guided experience specific to your needs and context.
If you’ve experienced guided imagery before and have experienced positive change or outcomes, feel free to share your experience with me, and share this post with someone you think might benefit from the practice!
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